The clock is ticking on the future of a bayside community in Bradenton Beach.
Homeowners in the Pines Trailer Park, 103 Church Ave., Bradenton Beach, must decide: Will they buy the park?
The Jackson Partnership LLLP of Bradenton, which lists Richard and William Jackson as partners, owns the land-lease community. In this case, the land lease allows the owner of the mobile home to lease the land where the home is situated. The most common land-lease communities are manufactured home communities.
The partnership made the homeowners association an offer Jan. 25 to buy the park for $16 million, according to some residents.
The offer triggered a time clock — 45 days — for the HOA to act.
Equally divided, the 87 homeowners would be looking at an investment of $183, 908.04 each.
As of Feb. 27, the HOA had held several meetings and the HOA members were unanimous in support of the buyout, according to residents.
The Florida Mobile Home Act, statute 723, requires that an owner of a mobile home park notify officers of the homeowners association stating the price and any terms or conditions of a proposed sale and that the homeowners through the HOA have the right to purchase the park.
At the end of 45 days, if no offer is made by the HOA, the park owner can entertain other offers.
In this case, there was no outside offer but an intent to sell, according to a former board member who spoke with The Islander.
A letter posted by the Pines Park HOA board of directors at the clubhouse said the meeting would be for informational purposes only and that no official decision would be made.
However, the notice concluded that the HOA board would convene after the general meeting to consider and execute a contract to buy the park.
No announcement had been made as to the HOA board’s decision as of noon Feb. 27.
Some other parks in the area — including the Sandpiper Mobile Resort, 2601 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach, and Cortez Park Co-op, 12507 Cortez Road W., Cortez — have been purchased by homeowners.
The Pines park, situated on the bay at the west end of Bridge Street, north of the Historic Bridge Street Pier, dates to the 1930s, when it was used as a campsite by families in a traveling circus, according to Mayor John Chappie.
In recent years, with increased tourism and skyrocketing property values, such a property, at 2.785 acres, could attract developers.
Chappie told The Islander Feb. 23 that the mobile home parks are unique parts of the city’s community.
“It’s sad when these changes happen,” he said. “This is our home, our community. The Pines is a major part of what makes Bradenton Beach unique. Like most people, I don’t like this change.”